Restaurant Jyurota

Oshokuji-dokoro Jyurota, in Nagano Prefecture's Shimoina district, is a restaurant that stands next to roadside station Shinshu-hiraya.
The eatery offers many local dishes. Not sure what to order? You can never go wrong with the signature Jyurota teishoku set. It's a hearty meal that includes tempura, stews, miso soup and grilled amago trout from the pristine rivers that flow through Hiraya village. The set also allows you to sample Nagano's famed gohei-mochi rice cakes with two different sauces -- spring onions with miso paste or egoma sauce made from locally harvested wild sesames.
All the dishes feature local ingredients that are exclusive to the region. The restaurant is worth stopping by on your way to neighboring onsen hot springs.